Caput III. Henry Hudson’s Last Voyage

by Michael Lambert

June 2023

Caput III. Henry Hudson’s Last Voyage

by Michael Lambert

June 2023

In this Moneth of June abstain from such meats as do ingender flegm, and drink then of the plesantest Wine, and drink sometimes fasting a cup of white Wine, for it purgeth Choler, and noxious humors from the stomack, good to eat Sallets of Lettice prepared with Vinegar, eat such meats as be light of digestion, and all this Moneth glut not the stomack, but arise from the Table with an appetite, arise betimes in the morning, and exercise your Body… Richard Saunders. 1665

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Hessel Gerritsz, 1581-1632; was the Netherland’s chief cartographer of the 17th century. In 1612 he published a world map, which included Australia (indicating it was part of the Island of Vanuatu). On 16 October 1617, he was appointed the chief map maker for the Dutch East India Company. Returned Dutch ships handover all log books and charts. This original material led to several notable geographical breakthroughs. Gerritsz participated in the 1628-29 voyage to the Caribbean and Brazil. He assigned the name Tegesta to Florida

Gerritsz may be moderately difficult, chiefly some technical terms, and the names of persons and places

Iterum iter suscepit, non minori studio de transitu investigando in Occidente, tendens in fretum Davis1, anno millesimo sexcentesimo et decimo, usque ad altitudinem unius et sexaginta graduum, ingressus semitam Georgii Weymouth2, omnes oras lustravit, hac in tabula delineatas, usque ad gradus sexaginta tres3, deflexit in Meridiem usque ad gradus quinquaginta quatuor, sub iis hibernavit, solvens istinc littus Occidentale legens, ascendit usque ad gradum sexagesimum, recta navigans quadraginta leucas 4, amplum pelagus deprehendit, fluctibus a Cauro 5 agitatis superbiens; ex his non exigua spes transeundi Hudsono affulsit, nec voluntas Senatui nautico defuit6, sed fastidium, et malevolentia sociorum scrupulum iniecere, ob victus inopiam, cum iis tantum in octo menses prospectum esset, nihilque toto itinere alimento dignum in manus eorum incideret, nisi forte Indus quidam, qui crissio7 Mexicano, seu Iaponensi8 rmatus, feram attulit, ex quo Hudsonus coniiciebat, se non longe a Mexicanis abesse, quorum arma, et commercia videret. Tandem praevaluit sociorum malevolentia, qui Hudsonum, cum reliquis praefectis scapha9 exposuerunt in mare, ipsi patriam petiere, quam cum appulissent, ob scelus10 commissum in carceres11 detrusi sunt, ibique detinentur, donec Praefectus eorum Hudsonus salvus suis restituatur, ab iis, quibus id negotii superiori anno millesimo, sexcentesimo, et duodecimo, iussu Principis Walliae12 piae memoriae, et Praefectorum Russiae navigationis13 commissum est, de quorum reditu hactenus nihil inauditum, hinc spes aliqua affulget, eos angustias illas superasse nec iudicamus quid certi nos audituros priusquam ex India Orientali redierint, aut ubi cum Chinensibus14, aut Iaponensibus sua transegerint, eademque via in Angliam redierint: quod felix et faustum sit precamur unice

Footnotes:

  1. fretum Davis, Davis Strait, between Greenland and Baffin Island
  2. Georgii Weymouth, George Weymouth, 1585-1612. English explorer sought in 1602 northwest passage to India via Hudson Strait, forced to turn back
  3. tabula delineates, usque ad gradus sexaginta tres. Refers to a sea-going chart, as far as 63 degrees 
  4. recta navigans quadraginta leucas, amplum pelagus. Straight line navigation to 40 degrees. leucas may refer to Leucas Island west coast of Greece; flat open sea; similar to the Arctic Sea condition?
  5. fluctibus a Cauro, a billowing wind from the Northwest. caurus. 2m. northwestern wind
  6. nec voluntas Senatui nautico defuit, and not free will a Naval Senate [found Hudson] wanting
  7. qui crissio Mexicano, who grinds Mexican. crissio, 1st conj. (unknown ?) (Closest alternate spelling: criso, 1st conj.) criso, verb’s sense is vulgar, I grind (the haunches during sexual intercourse). Is this an illusion to European conquest of Mexico in a harshly sexual and degrading manner?
  8. Iaponensi, Japanese. Iaponia. 1f. proper noun. Japan. Earliest European usage of noun, circa 1567
  9. qui Hudsonum, cum reliquis praefectis scapha exposuerunt in mare, who Hudson, with the remaining ship’s officers were exposed to the sea in a skiff. scapha. 1f. generic term, small or light craft or skiff
  10. ob scelus commissum, towards the commission [looking into] villainy. An enquiry into the mutiny that witnessed Hudson and other ship’s officers put adrift in a small light craft, in the Arctic Sea
  11. in carceres detrusi sunt, are to be expelled [driven away] to incarceration.
  12. Principis Walliae, the Prince of Wales. Refers to Henry Frederick Stuart, born 24 Match 1603, ascended to the title, 4 April 1610. He died of typhoid fever 6 November 1612
  13. et Praefectorum Russiae navigationis commissum, a Russian navigation officer [served on the] commission. Hudson in 1607, worked for the Moscovy Company of England to find the northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. In 1609, Hudson worked for the Dutch East India Company, again seeking a passage. In 1611, his third voyage, seeking the route to the Pacific he worked for the Virginia Company and the East India Company. The mutiny occurred in June 1611
  14. Chinensibus, Chinese. Chinensis. 3n. proper noun, 2-end adj. Chinese. Chinensis considered dated by the 16th Century. Adoption of Sinensis. 3n. proper noun, 2-end adj. Chinese
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